Heartland Express, Inc. Fundamental Analysis (NASDAQ: HTLD)
Heartland Express, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLD) shows weak financial fundamentals with a PE ratio of -64.87, profit margin of -1.77%, and ROE of -1.69%. The company generates $0.7B in annual revenue with weak year-over-year growth of -23.08%.
Key Strengths
Areas of Concern
The stock receives a Fundamental Health Score of -5.4/100 based on profitability, valuation, growth, and balance sheet metrics. The F grade reflects weak fundamentals and significant financial concerns.
Fundamental Health Score
We analyze HTLD's fundamental strength across five key dimensions:
Efficiency Score
WeakHTLD struggles to generate sufficient returns from assets.
Valuation Score
ExcellentHTLD trades at attractive valuation levels.
Growth Score
WeakHTLD faces weak or negative growth trends.
Financial Health Score
ModerateHTLD shows balanced financial health with some risks.
Profitability Score
WeakHTLD struggles to sustain strong margins.
Key Financial Metrics
Is HTLD Expensive or Cheap?
P/E Ratio
HTLD trades at -64.87 times earnings. This suggests potential undervaluation.
PEG Ratio
When adjusting for growth, HTLD's PEG of -2.79 indicates potential undervaluation.
Price to Book
The market values Heartland Express, Inc. at 1.06 times its book value. This may indicate undervaluation.
EV/EBITDA
Enterprise value stands at 7.66 times EBITDA. This is generally considered low.
How Well Does HTLD Make Money?
Net Profit Margin
For every $100 in sales, Heartland Express, Inc. keeps $-1.77 as profit after all expenses.
Operating Margin
Core operations generate -5.66 in profit for every $100 in revenue, before interest and taxes.
ROE
Management delivers $-1.69 in profit for every $100 of shareholder equity.
ROA
Heartland Express, Inc. generates $-1.13 in profit for every $100 in assets, demonstrating efficient asset deployment.
Following the Money - Real Cash Generation
Operating Cash Flow
Heartland Express, Inc. generates limited operating cash flow of $70.03M, signaling weaker underlying cash strength.
Free Cash Flow
Heartland Express, Inc. generates weak or negative free cash flow of $-81.08M, restricting financial flexibility.
FCF Per Share
Each share generates $-1.05 in free cash annually.
FCF Yield
HTLD converts -10.07% of its market value into free cash.
Financial Ratios Analysis
Valuation Ratios
P/E Ratio
Price to earnings ratio
-64.87
vs 25 benchmark
PEG Ratio
Price/earnings to growth ratio
-2.79
vs 25 benchmark
P/B Ratio
Price to book value ratio
1.06
vs 25 benchmark
P/S Ratio
Price to sales ratio
1.11
vs 25 benchmark
Financial Health
Debt/Equity
Total debt to shareholders' equity
0.15
vs 25 benchmark
Current Ratio
Current assets to current liabilities
0.77
vs 25 benchmark
Efficiency Ratios
ROE
Return on equity percentage
-0.02
vs 25 benchmark
ROA
Return on assets percentage
-0.01
vs 25 benchmark
ROCE
Return on capital employed
-0.04
vs 25 benchmark
How HTLD Stacks Against Its Sector Peers
| Metric | HTLD Value | Sector Average | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E Ratio | -64.87 | 27.18 | Better (Cheaper) |
| ROE | -1.69% | 1204.00% | Weak |
| Net Margin | -1.77% | 32.00% | Weak |
| Debt/Equity | 0.15 | 0.87 | Strong (Low Leverage) |
| Current Ratio | 0.77 | 22.20 | Weak Liquidity |
| ROA | -1.13% | -1363309.00% (disorted) | Weak |
HTLD outperforms its industry in 2 out of 6 key metrics, but lagging in ROE.
Historical Growth Performance
5-Year Growth Trajectory
This section reviews Heartland Express, Inc.'s 5-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) and compares its performance against the typical investment style of its industry.
Revenue CAGR
30.49%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
High GrowthEPS CAGR
-177.42%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
DecliningFCF CAGR
-47.81%
Industry Style: Cyclical, Value, Infrastructure
Declining